Meet The 24-Year-Old Who Is On A Mission To Make Shillong A Litter-Free City

Meet The 24-Year-Old Who Is On A Mission To Make Shillong A Litter-Free City

Cleanliness, they say, is closely linked to godliness. What would be a better way of showing love and belief in the Almighty than by keeping one’s surroundings clean and sanitised?

In an exclusive interview with Nangjop Dhabah from Shillong, The Logical Indian brings forward the story of a how an individual took it upon himself the task of keeping his surroundings clean by starting a mission named #NoLitterShillong. Nangjop has shared his experience and talked of what had motivated him to start with this mission in the first place.

Nangjop cleaning the streets of his locality with his kid companion

How it all started

After being appalled by the sanitation conditions in his neighbourhood for some time, Nangjop thought it was best that he took up the job of cleaning on his shoulders.

The 24-year-old is an amiable personality. When asked what motivated him to champion the cause of cleanliness, he modestly replied, “Well, I don’t know if I have actually ‘championed’ the cause, but honestly, I have tried my best to make a difference.”

“I firmly believe in the proverb: ‘Charity begins at home’. It is this thought that had prompted me to take up this initiative,” said Nangjop.

Nangjop’s mother has been a great source of inspiration for him. “She is a school principal, and I have seen her work relentlessly for the cause of the underprivileged. I have often thought to myself that I should follow her footsteps and that catapulted me towards this mission,” he said.

He was deeply concerned about the abysmal state of littering in his neighbourhood, Jaiaw Laitdom and felt it was the need of the hour to think seriously about the problem. Along with his neighbour, who was a kid, and his sister with a camera on the tow, Nangjop decided it was the right time to plunge into the root of the problem and make a difference.

#NoLitterShillong campaign in progress

Nangjop’s experience at the grass-roots level

“I shall not lie, I get infuriated when I see people behaving irresponsibly and throwing litter all over the city,” Nangjop admitted. “Cars driving through the roads often throw plastic bottles and leftovers on the roads, this is something unacceptable,” he said.

Nangjop realised waiting for someone to de-litter the city is futile. “So, I bought myself a pair of latex gloves and a bucket and started the job myself.”

“It is tough to understand who is responsible for littering the city. One should not always blame the tourists for making Shillong dirty. The place where I live is a residential complex, but the problem of littering is no less in this area – so why to blame the tourists alone?” he said.

Nangjop’s reaction to the problem of litter in Shillong prompted an immediate question: Isn’t Shillong known to be one of the cleanest cities in India?

“That is a kind of a misnomer for Shillong, I have seen it through my own eyes, and the problem is as burning in Shillong as in any other city of India,” he said candidly.

Shillong has been growing as a major city in the Northeast, and the process of urbanisation has had its own set of disadvantages – persistent littering in the city is one of them. Nangjop opined, “It is important to prick the bubble that Shillong is a clean city.”

Making people aware of the consequences of littering

Striving for a sense of fulfilment

Nangjop has recently completed his post graduation in Shillong. He is a student of Mass Communications and has graduated from the Madras Christian College. He said, “The one thing that I have noticed down south is that people there have a greater civic sense when compared to the rest of India. I have read about groups getting together to clean a particular area or reclaim a lake – I think we should take a cue from them and use that for our areas.”

He had taken up a job as a graphic designer in a firm in Shillong, but Nangjop was not happy with what he was doing.

“I felt there was no direction in what I was doing, I was unable to contribute to the society. I wanted to do something productive and hence decided to quit my job,” he said.

When asked if he was happy with what he was doing now, Nangjop readily said, “Oh yes! I am pleased that I took the decision of leaving my job and got involved with this mission wholeheartedly. These days, I feel, I have a sense of purpose in my life.”

Nangjop acknowledged that he has been getting a lot of help from social media. “It is a great platform to grab the attention of the ordinary people. Campaigns like that of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan have gained a lot of momentum because of social media coverage. But I do not want my drive to be a one-off incident, I sincerely hope that I can carry this forward for the longest time possible,” he said with determination.

The youth being sensitised about the ‘no-litter’ campaign

The future of his mission

Nangjop is excited about what he is doing and has made plans for taking this mission forward. “Ideally, I want more and more people to come forward and join this cause. I have started a hashtag with the name #AdoptANeighbourhood, where each can adopt an area and work for the betterment of that place,” he said excitedly.

“As more and more people get involved in this, the mission will automatically go to a bigger and larger scale through the synergy of the works of all of us,” he added.

Since his initiative is still in the nascent stage, Nangjop has a lot to work on. However, he said, “The social media has been of immense help to popularise what I have been doing. Recently, I got to know of a similar cleaning drive that has been carried out in a University in Shillong who has made use of my hashtags. Knowing that I can make some difference feels good.”

On being asked about the reception of his efforts, Nangjop said, “Well, the reactions have been mixed. There have been some people who have come forward and appreciated my efforts. That bears a lot of significance for me. But, I must say, I have encountered many individuals who feel it is not our job to keep the city clean.”

“I am also of the opinion that municipal authorities need to do their work. But if they are not doing so, it is important for us commoners to take up the responsibility on our shoulders and work towards it,” he added.

Nangjop is against the cynicism that people have for his work and for efforts like that in general. “It is easy to point a finger at someone, the apathy that people have towards public property is not correct,” he added.

Nangjop draws inspiration from Afroz Shah, the man who was behind the cleaning up of Versova Beach in Mumbai and wishes to bring about a positive change in his hometown. He said, “This mission has steered my life in the right direction – I have made a promise to myself that I shall work on this as long as I can.”

Nangjop with his entire team

The Logical Indian community congratulates the 24-year-old on the commendable feat that he has achieved. It is inspiring to see young minds like Nangjop thinking seriously about the future of the country and dedicate their lives for the betterment of the society. We wish him all the best for his future endeavours and hope that he continues inspiring many more.

Delhi Government To Launch A Drive To Make Delhi A Beggar-Free City

Partner Story

Even at 76, Pradip Burman, the zestful chairman of Mobius Foundation radiates a contagious enthusiasm when he is talking about sustainability. The environmental crusader, better known to many as the great-grandson of Dabur founder Dr S.K.Burman, has devoted substantial attention towards promoting the concept of sustainability in all aspects of life. He refuses to conform to the convenience and comfort in today’s world which ultimately adds on to the adverse effects of climate change.

Talking to The Logical Indian, Burman emphasised why sustainability as a concept is indispensable for us. “We ought to be aware of what lies ahead of us. Soon we will finish the oil, iron, tin, and coal, and our next generations will be left with nothing. Recycling, banning plastics, stop felling trees for paper… This should become a part of everyone’s lifestyle,” he urges.

Mr Burman watering a sapling at the tree plantation drive organised by his non-profit Mobius Foundation

Traditional wisdom and modern research

A mechanical engineer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, Burman had always nurtured a keen interest in helping the society, as evident from his graduation project of designing a sonic aid for the visually challenged, which detected obstacles in the way using ultrasonic wave signals.

As an executive for the nature-centric company Dabur, Burman has always opted for natural alternatives to solve his everyday problems like taking Ayurvedic medicine to cure his Arthritis. He later launched the veterinary wing for Dabur – Ayurvet – which provides nature-friendly solutions for animal health care.

A patron of the ancient scientific wisdom of India, Burman always hailed the confluence of “traditional knowledge and modern research”, which he advocated as the Ayurvet motto.

Ayurvet is one of the best ventures by Mr Burman

As part of the CSR initiative of Dabur, Pradip Burman founded SUNDESH (Sustainable Development Society) which has been tirelessly working for last 25 years in remote villages for uplifting the rural communities in an environmentally sustainable way.

An advocate of sustainability

Burman believes that sustainability is the indispensable mantra for the world at present. Due to uncontrolled utilisation of the planet’s resources by human beings, the world today stands at a juncture of destabilisation. Today the human race has reached the pinnacle of progress but the advancement is happening in a very unsustainable manner.

Through energy-efficient use of everyday essentials like transport, communication, altered habits of diet, clothing and daily living, some crusaders of sustainability try to reduce their carbon footprint. Pradip Burman’s Mobius Foundation is one of the forerunners toward sustainability goals.

Mobius Foundation aims to change the sustainability dynamics

In 2015, Burman paved the way for the start of Mobius Foundation, focused on sustainability. Named after 18th-century German mathematician August Ferdinand Mobius, the famous Mobius strip has an important philosophical significance. The extraordinary shape symbolises balance and union.

Similar is the essence of Mobius Foundation which wishes to enhance the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” principle to a widespread basis in India, helping generations to come.

Founder Pradip Burman wishes to achieve notable development in education, population stabilisation and renewable energy projects.

A dream school in the making

At Coorg, Pradip Burman’s Mobius Foundation is constructing the World Environment School, Coorg (WESc) where the curriculum will surpass the boundaries of books and classrooms, with a special focus on hands-on learning in close collaboration with the environment. Amidst the pristine natural beauty of Coorg, the school will nurture young minds to grow up into future green leaders. As of now, the school will be open to teenagers, welcoming students from standards 6 to 12.

Needless to say, World Environment School will be the first-of-its-kind not only in India but also in entire South Asia. The school is expected to start from March 2020.

The school promises to nurture the responsible behaviour of citizens of our future.

The Sustainability Conference of 2019

In 2019, the Mobius Foundation has planned an international conference, on the lines of the celebrated earth summits over the past decade. The 2019 International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE 2019) aims to bring together environmental activists, practitioners of sustainable development as well as climate change experts to help develop a sustainability-focused curriculum.

It is surmised that the conference will give a platform to innovative concepts of Sustainability Education including an essential change in the existing education system ensuring a wholesome personal development for a student.

The Sustainability crusader

The Mobius founder strongly believes that it is high time to sprout sustainability awareness among a society drowning in consumerism and unknowingly doing irreparable harm to the planet, every second. The best way to achieve this goal is through education which is available to all. At present, the education system is predominantly career-oriented, making the learners a victim of materialism, and thus, their dreams are also outlined in those colours.

Living beyond the limits

When asked about his wish to attain the age of hundred, he strongly asserts that more than becoming a centurion, he wishes his life and work continue to better the society even in his absence. “I have lived my life. I wish that whatever I start before I go, will continue – for the betterment of my country,” says Mr Pradip Burman.

He is also a trustee of the Climate Reality Project – India (affiliated to Mr. Al Gore of the Climate Reality Project Foundation, USA). Climate Reality Project, India, has been actively engaged igniting the spark and spreading the message of climate change amongst educators, policy makers and civil society. The India branch looks after more than 500 trained Climate Leaders, and more than 900 volunteers spread all over the country.

In his journey, Pradip Burman has been a beacon of hope for millions, motivating many to join the movement for sustainability. We wish he continues his tireless efforts for promoting sustainability awareness and inspire generations to come.